I started running in Altra shoes about a three years
ago. Finishing up the ”Week of Altra,” I will review one
of Altra’s newest shoes, the Torin 3.0. This lightweight, high cushioned shoe builds
upon one of their most popular shoe lines.
I have written reviews for several Altra shoes in the
past. Click the links to read my past
reviews:
Instinct Everyday
As with all of Altra’s shoes, the Torin 3.0
has the FootShape™ toebox, which allows your toes to spread out. It helps eliminate issues resulting from
compressing your feet/toes. This is a
common issue with most other company’s shoes because of their narrower toe box. Altra’s zero heel drop
(meaning that the heel and forefoot are the same distance from the ground)
promotes proper form, provides better propulsion, aligns your feet, back, and
body, and is not weighted more heavily in the heel (like most shoes) which
promotes heel striking.
I bought a pair of the Torin 3.0
to test out. I really like the Instinct 4.0 and wanted to see how
the extra cushion in the Torin 3.0
would feel. Here is a comparison of the
two shoes.
|
|
||
|
Weight
|
8.4 ounces
|
10 ounces
|
|
Stack Height
|
28mm
|
25mm
|
|
Outsole
|
FootPod (some exposed EVA)
|
Full Blown Rubber FootPod
|
|
Cushioning Level
|
High
|
Moderate
|
|
Midsole
|
EVA with A-Bound and Inner Flex™
|
EVA with A-Bound and Inner Flex™
|
|
Insole
|
6 mm Contour Footbed
|
6 mm Contour Footbed
|
The Torin 3.0
is 1.6 ounces lighter than the Instinct even with extra cushion. Part of this is due to the Full Blown Rubber
FootPod of the Instinct
4.0.
The shoes other than that are fairly similar in terms of specs.
The new Torin 3.0
has taken one of Altra’s favorite shoes and
made improvements to the upper by using a Quick-Dry Air Mesh to make it more
breathable and comfortable. It looks
really sharp and appears to be durable so it should last quite a while. The upper really locks down your foot without
causing any constriction issues with your foot.
I ordered a size 10, which is my normal size, but it runs about ¼ size
large. I couldn’t quite fit into a size
9.5, but the 10 worked really well for me.
I would say they fit true-to-size when ordering them.
The midsole is made with EVA and an A-Bound top layer with
Inner Flex™. This is a grid-like network
of flex grooves built into the midsole to allow your foot to flex and bend the
way it needs to. This will result in
increased speed, performance, and ultimately will help strengthen the muscles
in your feet.
Altra
updated the FootPod™ outsole to better map the bones and tendons in your feet,
which like the Inner Flex™ grooves, will allow the shoe to flex with your foot. The sides are cut down around the ankle to
prevent rubbing (my guess for this design feature). I know several Altra shoes have this
feature as well and I love it.
I know I just stated yesterday that the Escalante
is not only Altra’s best shoe (in my
opinion), but my favorite running shoes ever!!!
It really is only a few tweaks away from being perfect. That was before I ran in the Torin 3.0. While I like the EGO midsole of the Escalante
better than the Torin
3.0, the Escalante
had a lack of stability when trying to make quick turns but the Torin 3.0
provided that stability. The Torin 3.0
is an all-around amazing shoe. It had
just the right amount of cushion while not feeling too squishy. This is my new favorite shoe. I took it out for 10 miles and out of the
box, it I could have run another 20 miles in them. They were so comfortable I almost forgot they
were there. It is so light and
comfortable. While I have only run 10
miles in them, it was on varied terrain.
I wanted to get the review out for the “Week of Altra” and will update
this post when I get 50 miles on the Torin 3.0.
Pros:
Zero heel drop
Wide toe box.
Extremely comfortable
Plenty of cushion
Lightweight at 8.4 ounces
Decent price ($125 on sale at Altra.com)
Altra’s Social Media
Links:
The Torin 3.0
is an amazing shoe for so many reasons, but the main one is that you can throw
them on and head out knowing that your feet will feel great. You can get the Torin 3.0
for $125 on the Altra
website. I hope you have enjoyed the “Week
of Altra”
and that you give them a shot. Please
let me know what you think of Altra
or if you plan on getting a pair to try out.
I would love to hear what you think.
It has really helped my running and I am becoming more injury-free as a
result of running in Altra
shoes.
Note:
I am not a doctor, so please use all of the products that I review at your own
risk.
